Faux Pas? Not really!

On April 18, 2007, Brian Urlacher, the Chicago Bears linebacker, was fined $100,000 for wearing a cap emblazoned with a “Vitamin Water” logo at the Super Bowl Media Day in February 2007.

The NFL frowns and levies heavy fines, on players who wear any piece of apparel that is not an NFL-designated sponsor at “official” functions.

Vitamin Water is a product manufactured, bottled and marketed by Glaceau, a Whitestone, NY company. Mr. Urlacher has been affiliated (as an investor, partner and spokesman) with this product for over four years.

Mr. Mike Reople, the president of Glaceau, should be the happiest person in the world today. All across the US, and maybe in other parts of the world, Vitamin Water has received innumerable mentions in the media (including this blog.) Worth millions of dollars!

He should say a special thank you to Mr. Urlacher and give him a “bear” hug!

Did the NFL do anything wrong here? Not really! The NFL, like any other business entity, has to protect its interests along with the interests of its “paying sponsors.”

"Sick" and "sic."

No doubt what Don Imus said about the Rutgers Women’s Basketball Team was sick and horrible. He has admitted his mistake. He has been fired by both CBS Radio and MSNBC.

Nike pays the Rutgers (the State University of New Jersey) basketball teams to wear its apparel. Nothing new here as this is a part of Nike’s marketing program.

On Sunday, April 15, 2007 Nike released a full-page advertisement in the New York Times, which according to www.adage.com, “indirectly thanks Mr. Imus for bringing the issues of race relations and sexism to the forefront.”

And the advertisement, making no reference to Mr. Imus, reads:

"Thank you, ignorance.
Thank you for starting the conversation.
Thank you for making an entire nation listen to the Rutger's (sic) team story.
And for making us wonder what other great stories we've missed. Thank you for reminding us to think before we speak.
Thank you for showing us how strong and poised 18 and 20-year-old women can be.
Thank you for reminding us that another basketball tournament goes on in March.Thank you for showing us that sport includes more than the time spent on the court.Thank you for unintentionally moving women's sport forward.And thank you for making all of us realize that we still have a long way to go.Next season starts 11.16.07."

Good idea!

It would have been a better execution, if Rutgers had been spelled without an apostrophe!